Retrieval of network communications based on proximity sensing

ABSTRACT

A mobile device periodically polls a network server via a communications network to obtain new communications addressed to a client account according to a polling schedule. The mobile device receives an indication of a threshold change of one or more of ambient light, temperature, or proximity of an object to the mobile device via an optical sensor of the mobile device, or an indication of motion of the mobile device via a motion sensor of the mobile device. The polling schedule is advanced responsive to the indication of the threshold change of ambient light, temperature, or proximity, or the indication of motion. The mobile device outputs a notification that new communications have been received by the mobile device from the network server.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is a continuation application that claims thebenefit of and priority to U.S. application Ser. No. 13/936,586, to beissued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,049,572, titled SENSOR DRIVEN MESSAGERETRIEVAL FOR MOBILE DEVICE, filed Jul. 8, 2013, which is a continuationapplication that claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. applicationSer. No. 13/077,273, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,483,665, titled MOBILEDEVICE FEATURING SENSOR RESPONSIVE RE-NOTIFICATIONS, filed Mar. 31,2011, the entire contents of each of these applications are incorporatedherein by reference in their entirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

Mobile devices may notify their users of incoming calls, text messages,emails, calendar events, or alarms through visual, audible, or hapticindications. Mobile devices expend energy to notify users, and suchnotifications may frustrate users if the notifications are provided toofrequently. Accordingly, the use of notifications should be limited.Yet, notifications that are provided too infrequently may cause users toexamine or otherwise interact with their mobile devices too frequentlyto identify events that may have occurred, which may again expend energyof the mobile devices or frustrate users.

SUMMARY

Implementations for mobile device notifications are disclosed. In oneimplementation, a mobile device periodically polls a network server viaa communications network to obtain new communications addressed to aclient account according to a polling schedule. The mobile devicereceives an indication of a threshold change of one or more of ambientlight, temperature, or proximity of an object to the mobile device viaan optical sensor of the mobile device, or an indication of motion ofthe mobile device via a motion sensor of the mobile device. The pollingschedule is advanced responsive to the indication of the thresholdchange of ambient light, temperature, or proximity, or the indication ofmotion. The mobile device outputs a notification that new communicationshave been received by the mobile device from the network server. Claimedsubject matter, however, is not limited by this summary as otherimplementations may be disclosed by the following written descriptionand associated drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram depicting an example mobile device in anetwork environment according to one implementation.

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram depicting an example method for a mobile deviceaccording to one implementation.

FIGS. 3-5 are timelines depicting example notifications for a mobiledevice.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram depicting an example method for a mobile deviceaccording to one implementation.

FIGS. 7 and 8 are timelines depicting example polling schedules for amobile device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram depicting an example mobile device 100 ina network environment according to one implementation. Mobile device 100is depicted communicating with a network device 110 via a wirelesscommunications network 120. Network device 110 may include a wirelessbase station, communications satellite, network server, or anothermobile device, for example.

Mobile device 100 may include a communications interface 130 (e.g.,wireless transceiver) to send or receive wireless communications vianetwork 120. Mobile device 100 may include an input device 132 such as,for example, one or more of a touch-sensitive graphical display,keyboard, button, microphone, etc. to receive user input. Mobile device100 may include an output device 34 such as, for example, one or more ofa graphical display, light emitting element, audio speaker, hapticfeedback module, etc. to output one or more of a visual indication, anaudible indication, or a haptic indication. A haptic indication mayrefer to a vibration or motion generated by a haptic feedback module ofthe mobile device. Mobile device 100 may include a sensor device 136including a motion sensor (e.g., inertial sensor or gyroscope) to detectmotion of the mobile device or an optical sensor to detect a thresholdchange of ambient lighting or temperature, or a threshold change inproximity of an object to the mobile device that may be caused, forexample, by user manipulation of the mobile device.

Mobile device 100 may include a control system including, for example,one or more processors 138, and a storage device 140 having or includingcomputer readable instructions 142 stored thereon executable by one ormore processors 138 to perform the example methods or operationsdescribed herein such as methods 200 and 600. As one example, thecontrol system may be configured to output a first notification of anevent via the one or more output devices responsive to occurrence of theevent. The event may include occurrence of a calendar event, occurrenceof an alarm event, or reception of a communications message viacommunications interface 130 of mobile device 100. The firstnotification may include one or more of a visual indication, an audibleindication, or a haptic indication. The control system may be configuredto discontinue the first notification after a first period of time,detect motion of the mobile device via the motion sensor after a secondperiod of time after the first notification is discontinued, and outputa second notification of the event via the one or more output devicesafter the second period of time after the first notification isdiscontinued responsive to detection of the motion of the mobile device.The second notification may provide a re-notification of the event. Thesecond notification may include one or more of a visual indication, anaudible indication, or a haptic indication. The control system enablesnotifications to be targeted to scenarios where a notification is likelyto be effective at notifying the user, such as when the user is near themobile device as indicated, for example, by motion of the mobile device,change in ambient lighting or temperature conditions, or change inproximity of an object to the mobile device.

In at least some implementations, the control system may be furtherconfigured to detect motion of the mobile device negating the secondnotification via the motion sensor beginning during the output of thefirst notification or beginning before expiration of a second period oftime after the first notification is discontinued, and avoid output ofthe second notification responsive to detection of the motion of themobile device negating the second notification.

In at least some implementations, the control system may be furtherconfigured to receive a user input negating the second notification viathe input device during the output of the first notification or beforeexpiration of the second period of time after the first notification isdiscontinued, and avoid output of the second notification responsive todetection of the motion of the mobile device negating the secondnotification.

In at least some implementations, the control system may be furtherconfigured to output the second notification if the motion of the mobiledevice is not detected via the motion sensor after a threshold period oftime after discontinuing the first notification.

In at least some implementations, the detected motion of the mobiledevice includes a threshold level of motion or a characteristic motionof the mobile device. A characteristic motion may include, for example,a lifting of the mobile device from a resting position, a shaking of themobile device, motion of the mobile device for a period of time and/orintensity, or other suitable characteristic motion. The control systemmay be further configured to output the second notification if thethreshold level of motion of the mobile device or the characteristicmotion of the mobile device is detected.

In at least some implementations, the mobile device may be configured topoll a network server via a communications network to obtain newcommunications addressed to a client account based on a pollingschedule. As one example, the mobile device may poll the network serverby sending a request to the network server (e.g., network device 110)via the communications network indicating a client account identifier.The network server may respond to the mobile device with one or more newcommunications received at the network server from one or more otherclients that are addressed to the client account indicated by therequest. The mobile device may receive the response including the one ormore new communications. As previously described, the mobile device mayoutput one or more notifications in response to receiving communicationsfrom the network server via the communications network. An examplepolling schedule may cause the mobile device to poll the network serverat a predetermined frequency (e.g., every 15 minutes, every hour, etc.).

The mobile device may be configured to receive an indication of athreshold change of one or more of ambient light, temperature, orproximity of an object to the mobile device via an optical sensor of themobile device, or an indication of motion of the mobile device via amotion sensor of the mobile device. As previously described, sensordevice 136 of the mobile device may receive one or more indications of achange in a operating condition of the mobile device. The mobile devicemay be configured to advance the polling schedule responsive to theindication of the threshold change of ambient light, temperature, orproximity, or the indication of motion.

Storage device 140 may further include a data store 144 for storing userdata, including user preference settings. In at least someimplementations, a user may select whether a second notification is tobe output by the mobile device, and may select or assign inputparameters for initiating output of the second notification. The controlsystem may output the second notification in accordance with the userpreference settings in such implementations. Furthermore, it will beappreciated that third, fourth, fifth, etc. notifications may be outputby the mobile device using similar approaches described with respect tothe second notification. As another example, user preference settingsmay define the initial polling schedule described above, which may beadvanced in response to an indication received at the mobile device.

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram depicting an example method 200 for a mobiledevice according to one implementation. Method 200 may be implemented bypreviously described mobile device 100 of FIG. 1, for example. Method200 enables notifications to be targeted to scenarios where anotification is likely to be effective for notifying the user, such aswhen the user is near the mobile device as indicated, for example, bymotion of the mobile device, change in ambient lighting or temperatureconditions, or change in proximity of an object to the mobile device.

At 210, the method includes outputting a first notification of an eventat the mobile device responsive to occurrence of the event. At 212, themethod includes discontinuing the first notification after a period oftime. At 214, the method includes receiving an indication of motion ofthe mobile device via a motion sensor of the mobile device afterdiscontinuing the first notification. At 216, the method includesoutputting a second notification of the event at the mobile device afterdiscontinuing the first notification responsive to receiving theindication of motion of the mobile device.

In at least some implementations, an event may include reception of acommunication message, such as an incoming call, text message, or email,for example. For example, prior to the method at 210, the method mayfurther include receiving a communication message at the mobile devicevia a wireless network, and outputting the first notification of thecommunication message at the mobile device at 210 responsive toreceiving the communication message. An event may also includeoccurrence of a calendar event, an alarm event, or other suitable eventthat does not necessarily involve receiving a communication message. Inat least some implementations, outputting the first notification at 210and outputting the second notification at 212 may each includeoutputting one or more of a visual indication, an audible indication, ora haptic indication via one or more output devices of the mobile device.As one example, outputting the first notification and the secondnotification may include displaying a description or summary of theevent via a graphical display of the mobile device.

In at least some implementations, the method may further includereceiving an indication of motion of the mobile device negating thesecond notification via the motion sensor of the mobile device duringoutputting the first notification and beginning before discontinuing thefirst notification, and avoiding outputting the second notificationresponsive to receiving the indication of motion of the mobile devicenegating the second notification. An example of this implementation isshown in FIG. 4. In such implementations, receiving the indication ofmotion of the mobile device after discontinuing the first notificationat 214 may further include receiving the indication of motion of themobile device after a threshold period of time after discontinuing thefirst notification. Outputting the second notification afterdiscontinuing the first notification at 216 may further includeoutputting the second notification responsive to receiving theindication of motion of the mobile device after the threshold period oftime after discontinuing the first notification. Receiving theindication of motion of the mobile device negating the secondnotification may further include receiving the indication of motion ofthe mobile device negating the second notification during outputting thefirst notification or beginning before the threshold period of timeafter discontinuing the first notification. An example of thisimplementation is shown in FIG. 5.

In at least some implementations, the method may further includereceiving a user input negating the second notification via an inputdevice of the mobile device during outputting the first notification,and avoiding outputting the second notification responsive to receivingthe user input via the input device during outputting the firstnotification. An example of this implementation is shown in FIG. 4. Insuch implementations, receiving the indication of motion of the mobiledevice after discontinuing the first notification at 214 may furtherinclude receiving the indication of motion of the mobile device after athreshold period of time after discontinuing the first notification.Outputting the second notification after discontinuing the firstnotification at 216 may further include outputting the secondnotification responsive to receiving the indication of motion of themobile device after the threshold period of time after discontinuing thefirst notification. Receiving the user input negating the secondnotification may further include receiving the user input negating thesecond notification during outputting the first notification or beforethe threshold period of time after discontinuing the first notification.An example of this implementation is shown in FIG. 5.

In at least some implementations, receiving the indication of motion ofthe mobile device at 214 may include receiving an indication of athreshold level of motion or a characteristic motion of the mobiledevice. Outputting the second notification at 216 may include outputtingthe second notification after discontinuing the first notificationresponsive to receiving the indication of the threshold level of motionof the mobile device or the characteristic motion of the mobile device.In such implementations, the method may further include receiving anindication of a threshold level of motion or a characteristic motion ofthe mobile device negating the second notification via the motion sensorof the mobile device during outputting the first notification andbeginning before discontinuing the first notification, and avoidingoutputting the second notification responsive to receiving theindication of the threshold level of motion or the characteristic motionof the mobile device negating the second notification.

Furthermore, in such implementations, receiving the indication of thethreshold level of motion or the characteristic motion of the mobiledevice after discontinuing the first notification may further includereceiving the indication of the threshold level of motion or thecharacteristic motion of the mobile device after a threshold period oftime after discontinuing the first notification. Outputting the secondnotification after discontinuing the first notification may furtherinclude outputting the second notification responsive to receiving theindication of the threshold level of motion or characteristic motion ofthe mobile device after the threshold period of time after discontinuingthe first notification. Receiving the indication of the threshold levelof motion or the characteristic motion of the mobile device negating thesecond notification may further include receiving the indication of thethreshold level of motion or the characteristic motion of the mobiledevice negating the second notification during outputting the firstnotification or beginning before the threshold period of time afterdiscontinuing the first notification.

In at least some implementations, the method at 214 may alternatively oradditionally include receiving an indication of a threshold change ofambient light or a threshold change in proximity of an object to themobile device via an optical sensor of the mobile device afterdiscontinuing the first notification. In such implementations, themethod at 216 may alternatively or additionally include outputting thesecond notification after discontinuing the first notificationresponsive to receiving the indication of the threshold change ofambient light or the threshold change in proximity of the object to themobile device.

In at least some implementations, the method may further includeoutputting the second notification if the indication of motion of themobile device is not received via the motion sensor, a user input is notreceived via a user input device of the mobile device, or a thresholdchange of ambient light or a threshold change in proximity of an objectto the mobile device via an optical sensor after a threshold period oftime after discontinuing the first notification.

FIGS. 3-5 are timelines depicting example notifications for a mobiledevice. FIGS. 3-5 each depict how a first notification may be output fora period of time in response to an event. In FIG. 3, a secondnotification may be output for a period of time in response to motiondetected after the first notification is discontinued. In FIG. 4, anegating input is received during output of the first notification,which avoids output of the second notification. The negating input mayinclude detected motion, a user input, or change in ambient lighting ortemperature conditions, or change in a proximity of an object to themobile device. In FIG. 5, a negating input is received after the outputof the first notification is discontinued but within a threshold periodof time after the output of the first notification is discontinued,which avoids output of the second notification.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram depicting an example method 600 for a mobiledevice according to one implementation. Method 600 may be implemented bypreviously described mobile device 100 of FIG. 1, for example.

At 610, the method includes polling a network server via acommunications network to obtain new communications addressed to aclient account based on a polling schedule. As one example, the mobiledevice may poll the network server by sending a request to the networkserver (e.g., network device 110) via the communications networkindicating a client account identifier. The network server may respondto the mobile device with one or more new communications received at thenetwork server from one or more other clients that are addressed to theclient account indicated by the request. The mobile device may receivethe response including the one or more new communications. As previouslydescribed, the mobile device may output one or more notifications inresponse to receiving communications from the network server via thecommunications network. An example polling schedule may cause the mobiledevice to poll the network server at a predetermined frequency (e.g.,every 15 minutes, every hour, etc.).

At 612, the method includes receiving an indication of a thresholdchange of one or more of ambient light, temperature, or proximity of anobject to the mobile device via an optical sensor of the mobile device,or an indication of motion of the mobile device via a motion sensor ofthe mobile device. As previously described, a sensor device of themobile device may receive one or more indications of a change in aoperating condition of the mobile device.

At 614, the method includes advancing the polling schedule responsive tothe indication of the threshold change of ambient light, temperature, orproximity, or the indication of motion. For example, as illustrated bycomparing the polling schedule of FIGS. 7 and 8, the polling event inFIG. 8 is advanced relative to FIG. 7 in response to receiving theindication at 612. FIG. 8 also depicts how the original polling schedulemay be resumed after at least one polling event has been advanced.

It will be appreciated that method 600 may be combined with method 200or portions thereof to enable one or more notifications to be output bythe mobile device in response to receiving one or more new messages fromthe server device. It will also be appreciated that the indicationsreceived at 612 may be used to advance the polling schedule incombination with other events that may be used to advance the pollingschedule such as a user turning on the mobile device, waking the mobiledevice from an idle state, opening a home screen of the mobile device,pressing a button or touch screen of the mobile device, or opening anapplication program of the mobile device, among other suitable events.

Throughout the written description and claims, the terms “first” and“second” have been used to refer to different elements, and should notbe interpreted as necessarily requiring a particular order unlessotherwise defined by the context. It should be understood that theembodiments herein are illustrative and not restrictive, since the scopeof the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than by thedescription preceding them, and all changes that fall within metes andbounds of the claims, or equivalence of such metes and bounds thereofare therefore intended to be embraced by the claims.

1. A method for a mobile device, comprising: polling a network servervia a communications network to obtain new communications addressed to aclient account based on a polling schedule; receiving an indication of athreshold change of proximity of an object to the mobile device via anoptical sensor of the mobile device; and advancing the polling scheduleresponsive to the indication of the threshold change of proximity. 2.The method of claim 1, further comprising: outputting a notification atthe mobile device via one or more output devices responsive to obtainingthe new communications addressed to the client account from the networkserver via the communications network; the output devices to output thenotification as one or more of a visual indication, an audibleindication, or a haptic indication.
 3. The method of claim 2, furthercomprising: discontinuing output of the notification after a period oftime; receiving a subsequent indication of a threshold change ofproximity of an object to the mobile device via the optical sensor ofthe mobile device; and outputting a subsequent notification at themobile device via the one or more output devices after the notificationis discontinued responsive to receiving the subsequent indication of thethreshold change of proximity.
 4. The method of claim 3, furthercomprising: avoiding output of the subsequent notification responsive toreceiving the subsequent indication during output of the notificationand beginning before the notification is discontinued.
 5. The method ofclaim 3, further comprising: avoiding output of the subsequentnotification responsive to receiving the subsequent indication beginningwithin a threshold period of time after the notification isdiscontinued.
 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: resuming thepolling schedule after at least one polling event has been advanced. 7.The method of claim 1, wherein the polling schedule defines howfrequently the mobile device requests and receives new communicationsaddressed to the client account; and wherein advancing the pollingschedule includes the mobile device requesting the new communicationsfrom the network server upon obtaining the indication of the thresholdchange of proximity to temporarily increase the frequency of the pollingschedule.
 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising: advancing thepolling schedule in time responsive to a user waking the mobile devicefrom an idle state.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the newcommunications include new email communications.
 10. A mobile device,comprising: an optical sensor to detect proximity of objects to themobile device; and a control system to: periodically poll a networkserver according to a polling schedule via a communications network toobtain new communications addressed to a client account; receive anindication of a threshold change in proximity of an object to the mobiledevice via the optical sensor; and advance the polling schedule in timeresponsive to the indication of the threshold change in proximity. 11.The mobile device of claim 10, further comprising: one or more outputdevices to output one or more of a visual indication, an audibleindication, or a haptic indication; wherein the control system isfurther to output a notification at the mobile device via the one ormore output devices responsive to obtaining the new communicationsaddressed to the client account via the communications network.
 12. Themobile device of claim 11, wherein the control system is further to:discontinue output of the notification after a period of time; andoutput a subsequent notification at the mobile device via the one ormore output devices after the notification is discontinued responsive toreceiving a subsequent indication of a threshold change in proximity ofan object via the optical sensor that follows the indication of theindication prior to the subsequent indication in time.
 13. The mobiledevice of claim 12, wherein the control system is further to: avoidoutput of the subsequent notification responsive to receiving thesubsequent indication during output of the notification and beginningbefore the notification is discontinued.
 14. The mobile device of claim12, wherein the control system is further to: avoid output of thesubsequent notification responsive to receiving the subsequentindication beginning within a threshold period of time after thenotification is discontinued.
 15. The mobile device of claim 10, furthercomprising: a motion sensor; wherein the control system is further to:receive an the indication of motion of the mobile device via the motionsensor; and advance the polling schedule in time responsive to theindication of motion of the mobile device.
 16. The mobile device ofclaim 10, wherein the control system is further to: resume the pollingschedule after at least one polling event has been advanced.
 17. Themobile device of claim 10, wherein the control system is further to:advance the polling schedule in time responsive to a user waking themobile device from an idle state.
 18. The mobile device of claim 10,wherein the control system includes: one or more processors; and astorage device having or including computer readable instructions storedthereon executable by the one or more processors.
 19. A computerreadable storage device having computer readable instructions storedthereon executable by one or more processors of a mobile device to:receive an indication of a threshold change of proximity of an object tothe mobile device via an optical sensor of the mobile device; requestnew communications addressed to a client account from a network servervia a communications network responsive to receiving the indication ofthe threshold change of proximity; and output a notification at themobile device via one or more output devices responsive to obtaining oneor more new communications.
 20. The computer readable storage device ofclaim 19, wherein the instructions are further executable by the one ormore processors to: receive an indication of motion of the mobile devicevia a motion sensor of the mobile device; and request new communicationsaddressed to the client account from the network server via thecommunications network prior to a scheduled polling event defined by apolling schedule responsive to receiving the indication of motion viathe motion sensor.